Run With Me
by Darkside Omega
Summary: "I am what you make of me. I am as real as you want me to be, Seto. Name me and I am yours, Body, Mind, and Soul." The tiger intoned. "Run with me, Seto. Run with me." *Finished* *Now contains notes. -NC-, read this, please.*
1. The Mysteries of Crimson Eyes

A/N(1)- This has to be reposted due to FF.Net's deletion of my account. If you were reading this before, then please review me. And if you weren't, then review me anyway.  
  
A/N(2)- Er... Yeah... I don't think this has ever been done in this section... Yes... Very odd indeed. Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes you might have to endure. Oi, this has been re-uploaded, this time without as many spelling mistakes. Don't worry, all of you who actually ventured here to read this, more stuff will be explained in the next chapter...as soon as I finish typing it...*Sweatdrops*  
  
Disclaimer- You be _very_ stupid indeed if you actually think _I_ own Yu-Gi- Oh.  
  
//...// -- Mind speech. But only because I'm computer illiterate and can't get the italics to work.  
  
  
  
The Mysteries of Crimson Eyes.  
  
  
  
The first thing he realized when he came to was that he didn't hurt anymore. His head was blessedly free of the throbbing ache behind his eyes, and he could breathe without hearing that horrible rasping gurgle that meant a punctured lung...or worse. Cracking open an eye, Seto blinked in surprise when he realized he wasn't lying in the middle of the street, or even in the city, for that matter.  
  
He was braced against the trunk of a lone tree, surrounded by endless miles of flat plain covered in tall grass that would have reached his knees when he stood. The sky was dark, save for the light coming from the twin moons that hung low in the sky. There were no signs of Domino City or anything or anyone else he knew.  
  
Moving to sit up, Seto froze as the heat pressed against his side and the feel of silk-soft fur on his exposed skin. Looking to the side, Seto felt a spike of fear, and wonder at the sight that met his eyes.  
  
Lifting its head the tiger, with beautiful snow-white fur graced with a spill of elegant ink black markings, turned bright crimson eyes on him.  
  
His breath clogged in his throat, fear gripping his chest. The big cat shifted almost lazily, eyes glinting with what he would have called amusement, if the tiger had been human. He was startled at the almost human intelligence he could see in those painfully familiar eyes, and he knew that he should have been able to recognize those eyes. They called to him.  
  
Closing his eyes, Seto turned his focus inwards, trying to remember what had happened and how he'd gotten to wherever it was he was. Frowning as bits and pieces of memory flashed before him, flitting out of his grasp before he could catch more than a glimpse, Seto felt an alien presence in his mind.  
  
//Run with me.//  
  
Seto started as the words faded from his mind, eyes snapping open.  
  
The tiger watched him silently, the tip of its tail gently brushing Seto's leg.  
  
//Run with me Seto. Run with me.//  
  
"Wha...what?"  
  
He had to be crazy, to think that the _tiger_ was talking to him. Everyone knew that animals couldn't talk. Even telepathically, or whatever that had been. Maybe he'd hit his head harder than he'd thought or something.  
  
"I was in a car crash..." Seto said, as though hearing his own voice would drive the phantom voice from his thoughts.  
  
The tiger cocked its head to the side, crimson eyes questioning.  
  
His attention drawn to the motion, Seto stared at the tiger. He knew instinctively that it wasn't acting the way a normal tiger should. It seemed almost...protective of him. Something that was driven home when he realized that it had been curled around him, using its body heat to keep him warm.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
The tiger yawned, revealing gleaming white fangs, although Seto couldn't find it within himself to be alarmed by such a sight. Somehow, he felt safe with the tiger. As though it wouldn't let any harm befall him. It was an unnerving feeling...Seto Kaiba didn't need anyone or anything to make himself feel safe and secure...he had himself and that was all he needed.  
  
The tiger growled low in warning, crimson eyes narrowed. The tip of its tail twitched almost angrily.  
  
//Is that so?//  
  
The mental voice slithered through his thoughts, tangling with them until he was no longer certain if he'd thought the words himself, or if they'd come from some other source.  
  
//Then why are you still here? Why haven't you left, if you don't need anyone? Why haven't you moved on?//  
  
Seto stared at the tiger, at a loss for words. There was no denying that the tiger was the one speaking to him. Just as there was no denying the fact he had no answer for that question. If that was truly how he felt, why had he stayed where he was for so long? Why _had_ he stayed in Domino City for as long as he had? Even after his little brother had grown up. There was nothing to tie him down anymore, and yet, he still stayed.  
  
"What are you?"  
  
The tiger drew back, ears flattening against its skull in annoyance.  
  
//I am what you make of me, Seto. Don't you know that yet?//  
  
Feeling frustrated and annoyed himself; Seto ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends lightly. _Why_ couldn't he remember what had happened? He remembered being in a car crash, and in his mind's eye he could just make out the form of another presence beside his mangled vehicle. He couldn't see who it was, but his mind told him that it was a familiar and welcome one that set him at ease.  
  
"Why can't I remember?"  
  
If things had been normal, Seto would have found it utterly ridiculous to be talking to a tiger as though it could understand him. As it was, things were far from normal, a fact proven by the tiger leaning against him showing a level of human intelligence in its glowing eyes.  
  
Well...that and the whole telepathy thing. Seto mused sourly to himself.  
  
The tiger got to its feet and walked a few steps away, pausing to look back at Seto.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
The words called to him, like the tiger's eyes had. The mental voice that slid into his mind was a low, seductive purr, beckoning to him to shed his human body and rejoice in the untamed wildness that lay at his core. The part of him that longed to take off and run until he came to the end of the world.  
  
"How?"  
  
The tiger's eyes seemed to bore into him, and Seto pulled back as he felt mental fingers grasping at his thoughts, at the part of Seto's mind that _was_ him. A wave of reassurance washed through him, and he let go of his fear, reaching towards that maddeningly familiar voice.  
  
//Like this.//  
  
There was a sensation that was like being pulled and pushed at the same time, like being squeezed and stretched all at once. For a brief, horrifying moment that seemed to last for an eternity, there was nothing.  
  
No light, no darkness, no sight, no sound. Nothing. Absolute nothing.  
  
It terrified Seto to the core of his very being. It touched that part of him that feared fire and worshiped the sun. That part of him driven solely by primitive instinct that feared the dark and worshipped nameless gods.  
  
//Here. Follow me, Seto.//  
  
The tiger's voice broke through the barrier that led to the void, shattering the silence and bringing light and sound with it.  
  
Fumbling, frantic, Seto reached for that voice, fear and desperation making him clumsy.  
  
//Where...?//  
  
//Here.//  
  
And he felt the fire of the white tiger envelope him, driving away his fear. Driving away the darkness. Forcing the void back.  
  
//Open your eyes.//  
  
Seto did.  
  
The tiger was watching him, crimson eyes narrowed in a way that nudged at the back of Seto's mind, telling him that he should know that look. But he didn't.  
  
//What...what was that?//  
  
//The void. Nothingness. Death.//  
  
Seto took a step back, and froze as his eyes landed on his body resting a few feet away as though in sleep.  
  
The tiger snorted, crimson eyes gleaming with amusement.  
  
//You're not dead.//  
  
Tearing his gaze from his body, Seto stared at the tiger incredulously.  
  
//But you said...//  
  
Padding over to him, the tiger leaned in to brush its cheek against Seto's face reassuringly.  
  
//You passed through it, Seto.//  
  
Seto relaxed as the tiger's words registered in his mind.  
  
//And if I hadn't?//  
  
The tiger looked away, unable to meet his gaze.  
  
//You know the answer to that.//  
  
Seto did. And the knowledge was like a physical blow.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
Looking back at the tiger, Seto felt that seductive pull again, and this time he didn't fight it.  
  
//How?//  
  
The tiger's eyes seemed to laugh at him, the tip of its tail twitching in amusement.  
  
//Look at yourself.//  
  
Seto did, eyes widening in something like shock as he finally noticed his new form. It was small and compact, with slender legs and narrow fox-like muzzle. Black and silver fur faded to a light tan on his underbelly, and along his bushy fox-like tail.  
  
//What...what am I?//  
  
//Here, you do not appear as you would in the waking world. Here you manifest in your spiritual form.//  
  
Seto growled low in his throat at the tiger's less than helpful answer.  
  
//What does that mean?//  
  
//You thought that perhaps you would be a wolf, or even a fox?//  
  
Seto nodded. The possibility had occurred to him. He had been called one or the other a great deal of the time in the past.  
  
//You are both and neither at the same time. The wolf is a majestic animal that guards all that he considers his with a savage fierceness and undying loyalty. The fox is a born trickster, quick-witted and sly. You carry those traits...and more.//  
  
Giving himself a shake, Seto glanced down at himself.  
  
//What am I, then? If I'm not a wolf and not a fox, what am I?//  
  
The tiger seemed to smile at him.  
  
//Jackal.//  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N- Eh, so much for being normal... Review me please. Don't make me get out my Brain Control card again... 


	2. Running Everywhere and Nowhere

A/N(1)- I have located the rest of the disks that contained this story. Any and all notes, no matter how outdated will be put back up again. Hope this explains the technical stuff...  
  
A/N(2)- Uh... I know this isn't a whole lot clearer, but there _will_ be explanations in the future. I promise. If you're confused, so far, Seto was in a car accident. He wakes up in a different world with a tiger that talks telepathically with him. Got it? Okay? Okay.  
  
Disclaimer- Please refer to the first chapter.  
  
  
  
Running Everywhere and Nowhere.  
  
  
  
//A jackal?//  
  
Seto took a step back as the tiger approached him, something distinctly predatory in its eyes as it began walking around him in a slow circle.  
  
//Jackals are misunderstood creatures, Seto. They are feared, hated, and revered all at the same time. They are loyal to their family and mate for life. They protect what is theirs, to the death if need be. They are sly and cunning as any fox, and are accomplished hunters. There was once a God of the Underworld, Anubis, who took the form of a jackal-headed man when he weighed the hearts of the dead. That is you, Seto. You are a jackal. Loyal, noble and cunning. Not quite wolf, not quite fox, but a blend of both.//  
  
One thing stuck in Seto's mind, and he was startled to discover it was something that struck him to the core of his being. It was something he had never been consciously aware of.  
  
//Misunderstood creatures?//  
  
The tiger paused, watching him with those too-human eyes.  
  
//They were thought to be vermin by some people. Worthless scavengers. A blemish upon the perfection of the world.//  
  
A whimper escaped Seto's throat, his ears pressed against his skull as the tiger's words slammed home with ruthless efficiency.  
  
//Worthless...//  
  
He knew that word. Had been called that too many times to count in the past. He knew what it was to be considered worthless. Knew what it was to given so little consideration because of who and what he was.  
  
For him there had been no path paved of gold. No pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. No fair princess whose hand he could take in marriage.  
  
There were those who didn't understand what he did. That didn't understand the reasons behind his decisions. He knew that. But knowing a thing and understanding a thing is something completely different. He'd chosen a path, and if others couldn't understand it, that was their problem. Or so he'd told himself, to the point where he almost believed it himself.  
  
Almost.  
  
There was still a part of him that hated to see the loathing in other people's eyes when they realized who he was. A part of him that cried out as they turned their backs on him. The part of him that died a little more each time a cold gaze was turned on him. When harsh words were spoken to him. He was still human, after all. Or was he?  
  
The tiger moved, pressing up against Seto, holding him up with one broad shoulder. Nuzzling Seto's face, the tiger offered silent comfort.  
  
//They, like you, are misunderstood, Seto. Few have taken the time to look behind appearances to see what lies beyond. Few enough care to see the things that make you who you are. Few enough care to understand you. But those that do...they are the ones who a jackal would die to protect.//  
  
//Why?//  
  
Sensing that Seto would be able to support himself, the tiger moved away.  
  
//Why am I so misunderstood? Is it wrong to want money to put clothes on my back and food in my stomach? Is it wrong to want money so that I don't have to feel hunger or cold ever again? Why is that so wrong?//  
  
Seto's eyes closed in pain as he remembered the long nights he'd gone without food. Huddling in the poorly lit alleyways of the city with Mokuba, the only shelter they'd had. He remembered the disgust he'd felt from other people. The people who had called him worthless. Something to be despised. Hated.  
  
//It's not wrong, Seto. It's what everyone wants.//  
  
Seto whirled, baring his teeth in an angry snarl, his eyes snapping with blazing fury.  
  
//Then why don't they understand?//  
  
//They don't understand because they can't. They haven't been where you are, Seto. They've never had to fight over the last scrap of food. Never had to struggle to find a warm place to sleep for the night. They just don't understand what living like that is like.//  
  
Hearing the tiger's mental voice filled with such sorrow, Seto felt something in the back of his mind click as his anger faded. He knew that voice. Knew those eyes. But he didn't know how he knew.  
  
//I know you, don't I?//  
  
The tiger made a soft sound in its throat, crimson eyes speculative.  
  
//You do. Can you name me?//  
  
Seto frowned, felt his lips peel back from sharp fangs as he did.  
  
//Name you?//  
  
The tiger took a step forward, crimson eyes boring into his.  
  
//Name me, and I'm yours. Body, mind, and soul.//  
  
The words sent a shiver through Seto. They held both promise and longing, as thought the tiger wanted something of him, but was loath to ask.  
  
Seto felt lost. He could feel the tiger's yearning like a physical thing. He could see it in those glowing eyes, but he didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say.  
  
//How can I name you? Don't you already have a name?//  
  
The tiger looked at him a moment longer, then turned to go, brushing against Seto as it did, forcing him back a step.  
  
//You'll understand in time. But for now...run with me. Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
Seto felt panic as the tiger bounded away, muscles rippling beneath the sleek coat. He didn't want to be left alone in this strange place. Didn't want to be left alone, bereft of the blazing warmth and familiar sense of safety the tiger radiated.  
  
Without a second thought, Seto gave chase, the steady rhythm of his feet pounding the earth matching that of the tiger. He reveled in the wind rushing through his fur, the tall grass that brushed against his belly, the scent of sun-baked earth that called to him.  
  
He lost himself, giving over to that primal side of him as he ran, leaping over fallen logs and half-buried boulders as he raced to catch up to the tiger.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
He could hear the tiger's voice in his mind like a soothing caress, urging him on to greater speeds. Teasing him. Taunting him like an older brother would a sibling learning how to ride a bicycle or throw their first pitch. Driving him forwards with no thought except to succeed out of sheer perseverance or stubborn persistence.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
They ran through flat plains that gave way to thick forest and rocky mountain paths. They ran through darkened caves so ancient Seto could feel the weight of millennia pressing down on him. They ran through streams of icy mountain snowmelt, through puddles left by rain. They ran over massive sand dunes, through cactus-filled desert. And still they ran.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
They ran on, faster and farther than either one had ever run. They seemed unruffled as they lost themselves in the joy of the endless pursuit of nothing.  
  
  
  
A/N- Oi... this really was short... Ack! No! Stop throwing things at me! It will be longer! Really! And as for the question that came up in one of my reviews, "Is the tiger, by any chance, Yami Yugi's, Bakura's, or Jounouchi's spiritual form?", you will have to wait and see. If I told you, then that would give away the ending. One thing, though. I thought that Jounouchi had brown eyes... I could be wrong, though... As of now, I'm holding the next...not yet written...chapter ransom. Review if you want the plot to actually begin. 


	3. Enter in the Dreamscape

Disclaimer- Er...don't A/N's go first? Oh, well... If I own Yu-Gi-Oh, then my friend Chris has become the undisputed ruler of the world and Alex is pouring coffee for him and earning 3.2 million dollars a year for it. But that isn't happening, because all three of us are currently broke.  
  
A/N- Odd disclaimer, eh? If you're wondering, and you're probably not, this really was supposed to happen. Me, Chris, Alex, Luke, and Travis inhabited the weight room every PE class last year. It was Conspiracy Corner and thus we dubbed ourselves The Conspirers. But all of that is beside the point. Here is the third part of the story. This was done during my half hour of lunch and on the bus ride home. I hope it meets your approval.  
  
  
  
Enter in the Dreamscape  
  
  
  
  
  
They ran until the sun set and the twin moons rose. They ran until stars fell from the heavens, leaving a weeping trail of fleeting brilliance in their wake. They ran until they could run no longer, footsore and weary. Their souls filled to bursting with what they had seen, what they had felt. What they had known.  
  
Fur caked with mud, exhaustion written in their every line, they came to rest at the side of a lake so clear and still that it seemed made of the finest of glass. Sweet birdsong filled the air, accompanied by an occasional rustle of wings as the night birds flitted from branch to branch in the forest surrounding them.  
  
Watching the tiger with wary respect, Seto glanced back the way they had come. Amazed at the distance they had covered that night. Amazed that they had been the only living things there, until he'd heard the birds at the lakeside. Amazed that they had not stumbled over some forgotten human dwelling.  
  
//Where are we?//  
  
It was a question he knew he should have asked earlier, when he had first awakened. A question that would have given him some clue as to where he should go next. What he should do.  
  
The tiger turned to him, violet eyes seeming to smirk at him as though it knew his thoughts.  
  
//Don't you know, Seto? This is the Dreamscape.//  
  
//Dreamscape?//  
  
The word felt alien in his mind, unwelcome. It conjured up thoughts that left Seto shaking. Memories he'd thought best forgotten.  
  
Seeing this, the tiger shook itself and headed for the lakeshore, its steps measured and even.  
  
//A place where your mind goes to Dream. Sometimes to hide.//  
  
Seto watched as the tiger waded out into the lake, leaving not so much as even a ripple in its wake. Casting a glance over its shoulder, the tiger flicked its tail gently, sending a sheet of water at Seto, a playful glint in its eyes.  
  
Growling deep in his chest as he shied away from the spray of water, Seto paced along the water's edge, ears pressed back against his head. The tiger watched silently as his movements grew increasingly agitated.  
  
//Dream? Why would I dream?//  
  
//I never said you were here to Dream, Seto.// The tiger said mildly, wading deeper into the lake until the water reached up to its chest.  
  
Seto froze, ears pricking forward, fur bristling. He could hear his heart thundering in his chest. Feel the blood rushing through his veins, laced with adrenaline.  
  
//Then why am I here?//  
  
Snorting, the tiger dove under the water, submerging as it swam out further, a pale shape beneath the water.  
  
//You know the reason, Seto. I can't tell you.//  
  
Furious and filled with primal fear, Seto ran to the edge of the water, fangs bared in a silent snarl.  
  
//Why? Why can't you tell me?//  
  
Backing up a step as the tiger appeared before him as though a phantom, water and mud sluicing off it, Seto forced himself to meet the tiger's gaze.  
  
//The human mind has many defenses to protect itself. It shuts down, blocks off sections of memory. Sometimes those sections of memory remain sealed off. Too much knowledge too early can harm it. Too little knowledge too late can harm it. And on, and on. You, Seto, are hiding from reality at this moment. The reason 'why' is something only you know.//  
  
Seto stood unmoving as he mulled over the tiger's words, not even flinching as the tiger shook itself, cold droplets of lake water striking him and seeping through to his skin. Not even blinking as the tiger moved beside him, violet eyes staring down at him, willing him to remember. To understand.  
  
//If...If this is the Dreamscape, then my body... My human body...?//  
  
Taking pity on the confusion and fear it saw in Seto's eyes, the tiger rested its cheek against his, large crimson eyes sliding closed.  
  
//Was never here. It was another manifestation of your mind. A way to make you feel grounded in a place that makes its own reality. The moment you chose to follow me, it vanished. The moment you allowed yourself to _feel_ instead of think, your mind no longer felt the need to protect you in that manner.//  
  
//But...but it felt so real! I could feel the ground beneath me. I could feel your body heat, the softness of your fur! I could - //  
  
//And what do you feel now, Seto? What do you see? What do you smell? The Dreamscape is a reality in itself. Everything here can be as real as you want it to be. You can be anything you want to here. Anyone you want. The only thing holding you back is you. Those mountains we crossed, weren't they familiar? Those caves...that desert? Don't you remember them?//  
  
Seto's eyes went wide in stunned realization.  
  
//They were all places I'd been to before. Places I'd seen.//  
  
Opening its eyes, the tiger moved away, padding towards the trees.  
  
//Are you real?// Seto asked, fighting to keep the fear from his mental voice.  
  
Pausing, the tiger flicked an ear backwards, although it did not turn to look at him.  
  
//I am as real as you want me to be, Seto.//  
  
And then it was gone. Gliding silently into the forest without a sign to prove it had ever been there.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N- Yeah...that was it. I hope it clears up some stuff for you. And a big thanks to all my faithful reviewers. You gave me a big kick to my confidence and the urge to keep continuing this. 


	4. Whence You Beckon, I Shall Come

A/N- Here's some more confusion...and just when I had everything straightened out too... More stuff may start to take longer, due to me having to think up some more bits of the slowly oddening (Word?) plot. Half of what I had originally planned to write has gone up in smoke, due to lots of incoherity (Word?...again...) that even _I_ can't explain. But other than that, this is going well. One more thing: setobsessed, if you like stuff like bitter ranting about the perfection of other characters, then try reading "Drink Up". I call Tea an obsessive ^_^. But I warn you now, it needs some revising...  
  
Disclaimer- Oi...this thing again? Please refer to either chapter one of this story for an informal disclaimer, or chapter one of Mind Invasion for the exceedingly formal and long-winded version.  
  
Another/Note- Eh...Another Note, Author's note, what's the difference? This chapter has been fixed of the little or not so little puzzle of the green eyes. Read chapter 4 (When it's typed) for more information.  
  
  
  
Whence You Beckon, I Shall Come  
  
  
  
Seto spent that night alone on the shores of the lake. He spent the night watching the stars and trying to sort out everything he'd heard, everything he'd learned since waking up under that tree. He felt his mind begin to balance out, felt that familiar layer of carefully crafted casual indifference wrap around him once again like a comforting cloak.  
  
He forced his fear and frustration away from him to a place where he could study it in the hopes of understanding and overcoming it. He dove deep into himself, seeking the answers to the questions he hadn't known he'd asked. Answers to questions he hadn't found the words to ask. He sank back into that comfortable place where nothing could touch him if he didn't want it to.  
  
He watched the moons set and the sun rise. He knew the moment when the night birds left off and the morning songbirds took up, their sweet melody filling the air. He knew when the morning sun burned the dew away. He knew when the first breeze rippled across the lake, marring the smooth perfection.  
  
And he knew when the tiger reappeared beside him.  
  
//Do you hear it?//  
  
Cocking his head, Seto pricked his ears forward.  
  
//Hear what?//  
  
The tiger stretched out beside him, flexing its claws.  
  
//They're calling for you, Seto. Can't you hear them?//  
  
Straining to hear, Seto caught it...the faint sound of half-familiar voices calling his name. He could hear pain and misery in those voices. Sorrow, and a deep aching sense of loss. He could see their tears, both shed and unshed in his mind's eye.  
  
//Who?//  
  
Laying its head down on its paws, the tiger watched the lake as the wind played across the surface.  
  
//The ones you would die to protect. They're calling you.//  
  
Closing his eyes, Seto swallowed against the knot of raw emotion that clogged his throat. It burned in a way that nothing else could. He had felt those people's pain as though it were his own. Seen the anguish in their eyes. And he knew it was for him. All for him.  
  
//Why can't I remember?//  
  
//Because you don't _want_ to remember, Seto. Because it's safer living in a dream world than it is to face reality.//  
  
Snorting, Seto mirrored the tiger's pose, blue eyes sagging shut as though they were too heavy to keep open any longer.  
  
//You sound like someone I know.//  
  
//Really? Who?//  
  
Slitting open one eye in annoyance, Seto growled softly in warning. The tiger seemed to delight in teasing him.  
  
//You remind me of...//  
  
Seto trailed off as he realized that he couldn't put a name to the fragment of memory that had come to him. It had been there at the forefront of his mind, but the moment he'd consciously reached for it, it had flitted just out of reach.  
  
//I...can't remember.//  
  
Lifting its head, the tiger angled a look at him, crimson eyes sympathetic.  
  
//You will, if you want to.//  
  
Baring his fangs, Seto got to his feet, heading towards the lake.  
  
//Is that all you ever do? Offer me cryptic words of advice and speak in riddles?//  
  
Seto's eyes narrowed as the tiger's mental laughter filled his mind, sweet and rich, like honeyed milk. It wrapped around his thoughts, slipping past his guard until it reached the very center of his being.  
  
//I don't know...you called me to you.//  
  
That stopped him in his tracks.  
  
//What?//  
  
The tiger rolled onto its back, leaving its soft underbelly vulnerable to attack as well as the warm rays of the sun. Seeing it, Seto recognized it for what it was. Absolute trust. Something that was rare as any precious stone to someone like him who'd never known it.  
  
And he was wary of it. Fearing some hidden price tag that he wasn't ready or willing to pay, but would have to in the end.  
  
//You called to me, Seto. Brought me from where I was to where you were. You might not have been aware of it at the time, but you called to me.//  
  
Seto stared at the tiger.  
  
//Does that mean you're stuck here?//  
  
One crimson eye pinned Seto where he stood.  
  
//This is the Dreamscape, Seto. The only way to be 'stuck here' would be if I was to lose myself, and I have a very firm grip of who I am. You, on the other hand...that's a different matter entirely.//  
  
//But last night you said - //  
  
//That I'm only as real as you want me to be? That's still the truth, Seto.//  
  
Growling as the last of his patience was being worn away, Seto spun and plunged into the lake, wincing as the cold water hit his skin. He waded in until it reached to the top of his shoulders, feeling the mud that still clung to his fur soften and fall away.  
  
//Talking to you makes my head hurt.//  
  
The tiger laughed again, wriggling a little to get at the itch on its back that it just couldn't reach.  
  
//You should know by now that nothing is ever what it seems. You've begun to take far too many things for granted lately, Seto. Assuming things that you shouldn't.//  
  
Ducking his head underwater, Seto came back up spluttering and snorting water from his nostrils. Shaking his head to get the water out of his ears, he began wading back to shore, blue eyes locking with the tiger's own crimson.  
  
//And what, pray tell, might those things be?//  
  
The tiger rolled back onto its stomach, head resting on its paws once more, tail twitching. Blue eyes narrowed at the sight, Seto shook the water from his fur, a wicked gleam in his eye as the tiger bared its fangs at him in annoyance as crystalline droplets struck the its fur.  
  
//I can't tell you, Seto. You need to figure that out for yourself.//  
  
Seto's snarl faded out before it had even begun, as he flopped bonelessly down beside the tiger, stretching his neck out a little to as the sun beat down on them.  
  
//You really do remind me of him. All secrets, mysteries, and glib replies.//  
  
The tiger purred, crimson eyes slitting.  
  
//He sounds like an interesting person.//  
  
Flicking an ear, Seto leaned against he tiger's warm mass as a cool breeze ruffled his wet fur, sending a chill through him.  
  
//He is. And annoying, rude, stubborn, idiotic, dense...there aren't enough words to describe him, really.//  
  
//How...sweet.//  
  
Regarding the tiger out of the corner of his eye, Bad couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement at the look in the tiger's eyes. It looked almost...affronted?  
  
//You'd have to meet him to understand.//  
  
//Ah.//  
  
Seto smiled to himself at the tiger's mental tone of voice. Dubious and still more than a little insulted. He didn't even notice when the sun's warmth began to lull them both to sleep.  
  
  
  
A/N- This chapter has been brought to you by a half day of school and the Brain Control Card. Again it shall aid me in my time of non-reviews. So, once more, I'll use this magic card on you. Brain control allows me to control you for one turn. You see that bluish button on the lower left? Click on it and review this chapter. My turn is now over. 


	5. Missing, But Always There

A/N- Yay! You can't imagine how ecstatic I was when I found out I had 9 new reviews! Copious amounts of thanks to you all. Sorry this is late. I was running out of cryptically vague things to say.  
  
Another/Note- Eh...Another Note, Author's note, what's the difference? Anyway, this to explain the botching of the last chapter. In a vain attempt to explain myself and yet not give away what little plot remains, this little change was not intended to be here...yet (Maybe?)...Oi... I feel really stupid now...(You stay out of this, Silvara!)  
  
Disclaimer- Um...no.  
  
  
  
Missing, But Always There  
  
Seto woke with a start, eyes wide, ears swiveling to catch that faint sound that had jolted him from his sleep. Beside him the tiger slumbered on, oblivious to the distressed cries Seto had heard. Getting to his feet, Seto glanced around to see that the sun had started to set, the wind dying down until the lake was once again glass-smooth.  
  
Moving a few feet away for the water's edge to hear better, Seto's ears flattened against his skull as he heard it again. Those same familiar voices calling him. Cursing him. Pleading with him. In his mind's eye, he could see the shadowy forms of their faces, catch fleeting glimpses of their eyes.  
  
There was one thing Seto had learned early on in life, and that was always watch your opponent's eyes. It wouldn't matter how accomplished at lying they were, the eyes would always give them away in some way. Either by blinking too much, or too little. By darting about frantically. A shift to the right, to the left. It was the small things like that that he'd learned to look for.  
  
And he could read the intent in another person's eyes like he could read the text in a book. It was all a matter of interpretation.  
  
_That_ was where the true skill lay. Anyone could see what he did in an opponent's eyes, but they wouldn't know what the signs were if they weren't looking for them. Wouldn't know the warning markers without understanding what they meant. It was a skill that he had refined to an art, until it was second nature to him. And it had kept him alive.  
  
So it was only natural that Seto had learned to recognize people on their eyes alone. Eyes, like fingerprints, popcorn, and snowflakes were unique.  
  
He felt a flare of panic as he realized that a familiar face, familiar eyes, were missing from the shadowy image he saw in his mind's eye. The only eyes that had ever held any power of him were gone. Nowhere to be seen.  
  
//Seto.//  
  
Turning, Seto found the tiger watching him intently.  
  
//Are you ready to remember yet? Ready to go home?//  
  
Seto backed away from the tiger as it advanced on him, slowly, step by step. Its glowing, crimson eyes never leaving his.  
  
//You can't stay here forever, Seto. No human is meant to. This is not the way humans were meant to live.//  
  
//I'm afraid.//  
  
The tiger stopped, staring at Seto, some indefinable emotion flickering in the back of its eyes.  
  
//Why are you afraid?//  
  
Ducking his head, Seto clenched his eyes shut.  
  
//Because of what I _can_ remember. I remember pain, and suffering, and more pain. I don't want to go back to that!//  
  
//Is that really all you remember, Seto? Don't you remember anything but the pain?//  
  
Flinching as he felt a the tiger's mental sigh wash over him, Seto brought his head up to meet the tiger's gaze evenly.  
  
//Why are you here? You don't belong here, anymore than I do. I can feel it.//  
  
The tiger's crimson eyes narrowed, ears going back.  
  
//I'm here because you called me to you, Seto.//  
  
//No! That's not the only reason, I can see it in your eyes. Why are you here?//  
  
Turning to gaze out over the lake, the tiger remained silent for a long time, the only sound that of the waves lapping at the rocky shore and the musical twittering of songbirds.  
  
//Because I want to be here, Seto. Because you called to me...and I came. Because you needed me.//  
  
Bristling at the implication that he needed anyone, Seto pawed at smooth pebbles beneath his feet, lining the lakeshore, a low growl escaping his throat.  
  
//Who are you?//  
  
Looking over at him, the tiger seemed to smile.  
  
//Name me, and I'm yours. Body, mind, and soul.//  
  
As before, the words sent a shiver through him. Made him feel something he could barely understand, but desperately wanted to. Snarling, Seto looked away first, unable to meet the tiger's eyes.  
  
//I don't understand you.// He admitted, feeling strangely hollow and empty inside. Feeling as though he was missing some integral part of himself. Feeling as though...as though he were broken, with no hope of being fixed.  
  
He heard the soft scrape and slide of rocks shifting as the tiger moved to his side, glimpsed movement from the corner of his eye, but made to move.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
It took a moment for those words to sink into his mind, into his body. A moment for them to work their magic. A moment, and then they ran.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N- Yes, I am very aware of the fact that this is short. But don't worry. As soon as I can find where I put my notes for the next part, I'll begin typing that up. As always, review please. And one more thing. If you have any pranks I could use for my next story, I would be very grateful... I have an entire binder full of wise cracks and smart remarks, just not defined pranks... 


	6. To Dream a Dream of Dreaming

A/N(1)- Yay! Finally, back to where things were before they got erased. A great thanks to all those who reviewed me. And remember, loyal reviewers, some of these A/N's are rather outdated, seeing as they were here the last time I posted this.  
  
A/N(2)- Here is the next part that I promised you. WARNING. This chapter may contain very small amounts of IMPLIED yaoi. Not yaoi, implied yaoi. And it wasn't even SUPPOSED to be implied, it was supposed to be friendship. But, if you are one of those people who absolutely despises this type of stuff, then you have two choices. You could read this chapter, hate it, and flame me mercilessly. Or you could skip this chapter altogether and rest assured that your eyes would not be poisoned and that you were not really missing anything vital to the somewhat non-existent plot. So there. Take that, O gracious older cousin of mine.  
  
Disclaimer- You think I own Yu-Gi-Oh? Please pardon me while I stand off to one side and point and laugh at you with what few friends I have.  
  
  
  
To Dream A Dream Of Dreaming  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey, Seto!"  
  
Glancing over his shoulder, Seto hid a smile at the sight that met his eyes.  
  
"Tea got to you again, didn't she?"  
  
Glaring, Yami dumped the armload of boxes he'd been carrying where he stood and strode over towards the older man until they were less than a handbreadth away from each other.  
  
"Nice attitude, Seto. I'd like to see how far you'd get when she has that crazed look in her eyes and an order form in front of her." Yami retorted, punctuating his sentences by poking Seto in the center of his chest with his index finger.  
  
Batting Yami's hand away, Seto turned back to attempting the near impossible task of repairing an exploded holographic inducement staff that he had been working on before Yami's little interruption.  
  
"I wouldn't know about that, Yami. I usually try to be out of her line of sight when that happens."  
  
"Yeah well, that never works for me. Give me a hand with this stuff? It's heavy."  
  
His curiosity piqued as he heard Yami struggling with the parts and boxes he'd been carrying earlier, Seto turned back to see just what he was carrying. He lifted an eyebrow as he recognized the shop names on some of the boxes, places well known for quality dancing clothes and equipment.  
  
"Is all of that just for her classes?"  
  
Busy trying to balance the packages in his arms, Yami didn't answer right away, eyeing a smaller box that didn't seem too inclined to stay where he'd placed it. As Seto watched, the box in question started to slide sideways, the panicked look in Yami's eyes warning him that it was a vital component.  
  
He was moving even before he'd realized it, hand reaching out to snag the box before it could hit the floor.  
  
"You can open your eyes now, Yami. I caught it."  
  
Slitting open one eye, Yami blinked as he saw Seto standing in front of him, precious package held in his hands, smiling that irritatingly cocky smile of his, blue eyes narrowed in amusement.  
  
"Hey, thanks, Seto. Can you get the rest?"  
  
Seeing the mischievous glint in Yami's eyes, and that odd little smile on his lips, Seto realized he'd been had. Yami had to know just how powerful that little smile of his was, even Tea had been known to fall prey to it once or twice in the past.  
  
"I'm almost afraid to ask what you were like before you showed up here, Yami. You probably would have had the world at your feet before long." Seto muttered, scooping up the last of the packages sitting on the walkway behind Yami.  
  
"Who knows? Maybe I could have. You should be grateful I've decided to become a duelist instead."  
  
Snorting, Seto fell silent as they approached the afore appointed meeting place.  
  
"Now what? She's not here."  
  
Shrugging, a not inconsiderable feat considering the mountain of boxes he was carrying, Yami set the packages he was carrying down.  
  
"Just leave it here, I guess. Tea's probably trying to convince her parents that all of this stuff is an asset to her lessons so she won't have to pay for it. She'll know what to do with all of this since she ordered all of this stuff."  
  
Giving Yami a dubious look, Seto set his armload of packages down next to Yami's stack and backed away as it wobbled slightly.  
  
"Yeah, but you're forgetting just how much she takes after them."  
  
"Buy first, think later?"  
  
"Something like that, yeah." Seto muttered, running a hand through his hair.  
  
Grinning, Yami turned to say something, when his expression softened. Seto fought the urge to take a step backwards as Yami approached him, some indefinable emotion in his eyes.  
  
"Yami?"  
  
"Hold still, Seto." Yami said, reaching up to brush his thumb across Seto's cheekbone. "You've got something on your face."  
  
For no reason that he could explain or understand, Seto held still, blue eyes going wide as he felt the infinitely gentle touch of Yami's thumb on his cheek. With Yami this close he could see his eyes more clearly than he'd ever been able to, and what he saw in them startled him.  
  
"Yami..."  
  
Seto didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but nothing good had ever come of what he had wanted.  
  
Perhaps Yami saw that in his eyes, because he drew his hand back and held out his thumb to reveal a smudge of grease on it.  
  
"Come on, I'll help you with the holographic inducement staffs, if you want. Those repairs will take days with just one person working on them." Yami said, flashing him a smug smile, the look in his eyes belying his expression.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N(3)- Sorry for shortness. And if you wanted to flame me for the seemingly random content, then you obviously didn't read the first author's note. One more thing. This is as close to yaoi as I'm ever going to write. Unless, of course, it's unrequited. Hmmm...must look into that... 


	7. Memories Come Flooding Back

A/N- Hello to all of you who may have just arrived here after skipping the last part. This is it. The chapter wherein things are ironic. I may be wrong, but I believe that this is the chapter that is the least normal and contains the most crypticity (Word...?). Yeah... it's called Neologism. It means to make up new words or words with no meaning. My cousin and I do this all the time. Did you know if you add "-orama" or "-tacular" to the end of a word, you get an instant adjective?  
  
Disclaimer- If I own Yu-Gi-Oh, then I am completely sane. We all know where this is heading, don't we?  
  
  
  
  
  
Memories Come Flooding Back  
  
Leaping to his feet as another crack of thunder split the air, Seto felt his hackles rise, fangs bared as a feral snarl escaped his throat. He felt a moment of disorientation as memories fled from his mind. Memories of warmth and safety. Memories of belonging.  
  
Looking up, Seto's eyes widened at the fat storm clouds that hovered there, flashes of lightning visible through the gloom.  
  
Another peal of thunder forced him back, smooth pebbles giving way beneath his feet. Eyes flitting to the side, Seto felt panic rise within him as the wind began to blow, shaking the trees of the forest and rippling across the lake with ever increasing violence. The birds hand long since taken shelter for the coming storm.  
  
//Hurry!//  
  
Whirling, Seto saw the tiger standing at the edge of the forest, tail twitching nervously as the wind ruffled its fur.  
  
//Hurry, Seto! Before the storm breaks!//  
  
He didn't need any other urging. His legs carried him across the loose stones of the lakeshore, to the pine needle carpeted forest in a flash, the tiger matching his pace beside him.  
  
//Where are we going? //  
  
//Follow me.//  
  
Feeling a measure of relief at the fact that the tiger seemed to know where they were going, Seto fell back a pace, allowing the tiger to lead the way. The forest flashed by around them as the storm built up, a heavy, oppressive presence that seemed to press down upon them.  
  
Skidding a little as the tiger twisted around a cluster of boulders, Seto followed it, ears pressed against his head. He didn't know why, but he could feel the tiger's near-desperation to get them to shelter before the rain fell like a tangible thing. It felt like something was pressing down on his chest, like being caught in a vise.  
  
//Where are we going?//  
  
Sparing a glance back at him, the tiger didn't slow as the path they ran on twisted and turned. They wove through grove of dead trees, under and around boulders and exposed tree roots. Through thickets of dense underbrush and wide clearings.  
  
//The caves. It's the only place we'll be safe.//  
  
Snarling as the rocky path cut into the soft flesh of his feet, Seto forced himself to go faster, the tiger's desperation spurring him on.  
  
Watching the rain as it poured down in sheets from the safety of the cave entrance, Seto felt a shiver go through him. He could feel a gentle nudging at the back of his mind, like the feeling he got when he knew he'd forgotten something. It was annoying and familiar all at the same time, and he hated it. Hated feeling that he was missing something.  
  
They'd reached the caves minutes after the rain began to fall. Fast and heavy, plastering their fur to their bodies and filling the cave with the stench of wet animal. Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Seto edged closer to the cave opening where the air was circulating freely.  
  
He could feel the tiger watching him. Could feel the weight of those eyes on him as he watched the rain.  
  
//Why is it raining? It didn't do that before.//  
  
Admitting that he had a bad feeling about it wasn't something Seto would have done voluntarily. The fact that the weather had been perfect - not so much as a cloud in the sky - the whole time he'd been there so far did not bode well for the current circumstances.  
  
Turning at the soft scrape of claws against rough stone, Seto moved aside as the tiger sat beside him, head turned to watch the rain.  
  
//Seto, what were you doing before I found you?//  
  
Blue eyes narrowing, Seto cocked his head to the side thoughtfully.  
  
//I'm not sure...I think I fell asleep after we came back from the run, and then...I don't know what happened then. I think I was dreaming...//  
  
//Dreaming? What happened in your dream?//  
  
Startled at the tiger's sudden interest, Seto backed up a step, lips lifting from his fangs.  
  
//Why?//  
  
Sighing, the tiger growled softly as it flexed its claws.  
  
//Because if I know the answer to my question I may also know the answer to yours.//  
  
Growling at the tiger's cryptic reply, Seto shook himself, sending water droplets spraying everywhere.  
  
//I don't really remember much...it was like I was outside my body watching everything happen. I could see myself - my real body - working on a project. I think there was someone else there, but...//  
  
//Who was it?// The tiger prodded gently, watching him closely.  
  
//I don't know. I can't remember. I _know_ him, but I can't remember who he is.//  
  
Looking up sharply as he felt the tiger's sigh in his mind, Seto was surprised at the look in the tiger's eyes. They looked as though the tiger held the weight of the world on its shoulders, and it was tired of such a responsibility. So very, very tired.  
  
//What? What's wrong?//  
  
//Seto, where are you?//  
  
Sensing the meaning behind the tiger's question, Seto bristled as he felt a wave of dread go through him.  
  
//The Dreamscape.//  
  
//Exactly. When you sleep here, you don't Dream, Seto.//  
  
Flinching as those piercing, crimson eyes fixed on his, Seto forced himself to ask the next question. The one that was at the tip of his tongue. The one he dreaded most to hear at that moment.  
  
//What do you mean? You said people come here to Dream - //  
  
//Or hide. That's true, but who would Dream of Dreaming, Seto? Everything you do here when you're awake is part of the Dream you Dream. When you sleep here, you no longer Dream.//  
  
Snarling, Seto began to pace the confines to the cave, fangs bared.  
  
//You're not making any sense.//  
  
Snorting, the tiger pushed past him, the tip of its tail brushing his chest.  
  
//Seto, when you sleep here in the Dreamscape, you don't Dream. You remember.//  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N- Ooh...creepy...Eh? Stuff is all changing and everything...Anyway, thanks for all the new reviews. It has come to my attention that last "Chapter" was confusing for most of you. The summary for that was Seto was dreaming. That was his "Dream". In this chapter you learn that that wasn't a dream, it was a memory. Got it? Yes? Good. One more thing. This whole thing up to here isn't supposed to be very long. Timewise, I mean. Maybe...oh, I don't know...three days at the most if you count this chapter. 


	8. Nameless Ruler of all of Time

A/N- Heh...I'm back. Sorry for the long wait. I had little cousins over and had no time at all to post anything except "Pomplemouse". Go read it, you'll like it...I have the sequel to it in the works, but it may be a little OOC. Always watch what you eat for breakfast...Anyway, this story is almost done. Eleven chapters in all, and very erm...happy(?) around the end. Meh. Onwards.  
  
Disclaimer- If I own Yu-Gi-Oh, then George likes grapefruit. Go read Pomplemouse, then you'll understand. *RSA, Random Shameless Advertising*  
  
  
  
  
  
Nameless Ruler of all of Time  
  
  
  
There was nothing left to do but watch the rain. The tiger had disappeared into the depths of the cave, warning Seto with a single look not to follow. While ordinarily he would have balked at such a thing, for some reason Seto obeyed this one time.  
  
Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was in alien territory with only the tiger as his guide. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had no wish to wander the stifling blackness at the back of the cave that the tiger moved through with such ease. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Seto simply had nowhere he wanted to go at the moment.  
  
The rain, something he had had seen countless times before in the waking world, seemed threatening now. Not only because of what the tiger had told him it meant, but also because of some inner fear that Seto could find no name for. Some instinct that warned him away from the bitter cold of the rain...and the memories it might bring with it.  
  
So he sat just inside the cave entrance and watched as the rain fell. Occasionally a flash of lightning lit the sky, followed by the deep crack of thunder fit to split the sky in two. It felt like hours had passed since they had reached the caves, and still the rain fell.  
  
//Beautiful, isn't it?//  
  
Starting, Seto twisted around to see the tiger watching him. How a creature as large as it was managed to move in complete silence Seto was at a loss to explain. But somehow it could, and it did.  
  
//What are you talking about now?// Seto growled, getting to his feet as the tiger stepped out of the shadows.  
  
The tiger cocked its head to the side, crimson eyes sliding shut.  
  
//Listen, Seto. What do you hear?//  
  
//I don't have the time or the patience to deal with you and your - //  
  
The tiger snorted, amusement swirling through Seto's mind.  
  
//Time? Seto, time is the one thing you have plenty of here. Time holds no meaning in the Dreamscape, save for what you give it.//  
  
Shaking his head, Seto backed away from the tiger. There was something different about it now that made him wary of it. Where before the tiger had been a source of warmth and comfort, now it was the source of his frustration and fear. And yet he couldn't find it within himself to be surprised at the way things had turned out. He had never been able to place his trust in anyone before without having it broken in some way.  
  
//What do you mean? We barely had enough time to get here before the storm broke. How can time have no meaning if we had to race the storm?//  
  
Opening its eyes, the tiger took another step forward, forcing Seto to give ground before it.  
  
//You still cling to the laws that govern the waking world, Seto. To you there is only now and ten minutes from now. The past has no meaning to you because you are afraid to face it. If you wanted, time could stop here. The surface of the lake you are so enamored of would freeze so that you could walk across it, if you chose. The rain would stop, droplets hanging in midair. Don't you understand yet, Seto? Here you are in control. Here you are the nameless god that controls the world.//  
  
Fear clogging his throat, Seto backed away from the tiger although it had made no move towards him.  
  
//That's impossible. No one could do something like that.//  
  
The tiger's eyes narrowed as though in frustration at Seto's inability to comprehend what it had told him. Ears flattening against its skull, the tiger bared its fangs in a silent growl.  
  
//Are you really so blind, Seto? Do you really want to hold on to the things you believe are true so badly that you aren't willing to let go in order to risk the impossible? Are you so willing to trust in the fact that something you can't see, or touch, or feel could be real? That Seto...that is perhaps the worst thing that could happen to any living being. That inability to simply _believe_.//  
  
Tossing his head, Seto snarled as the tiger's words - so full of sympathy and pity - registered. More than being scorned for appearing heartless, he hated being pitied for who and what he was. And now the tiger dared pity him because he did not have the qualities it thought he should? Because he had not measured up to the tiger's expectations?  
  
//What do you know about it? You who spouts riddles and inane little bits of advice? What do you believe in that has no form, no shape, no feel? What do you believe that you can pity me the way you do? What is it that makes you able to look down on me? What gives you that right? What gives you the right to mock me with your eyes and your words?//  
  
The tiger stared back at him, crimson eyes unblinking as he screamed at it, his mind voice ragged and broken. When finally he stopped chest heaving for breath, eyes wide, the tiger stepped forward to nuzzle his face gently.  
  
//You would know if you remembered, Seto. You would know.//  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N- Uh-Huh...there it is. Wait! Fuzzy Penguin Muse of mine! Stop chasing Seto and Marth around. I need Seto to live until this story is over! *Clears throat* Yeah...I love reviews. Reviews are good. Reviews are the drink of the gods. Review me please. 


	9. Resisting the Call of Feeling

A/N- Eh, Heh...Sorry it's been so long since I last updated...I'm sorta stuck between working on "You Don't Understand", "Master of Disaster", "Silence", and "Unhealthy Breakfasts". Ever wanted to know why they call it a breakfast? It's because, in the Crocket household, you break things fast. This is the sequel to Pomplemouse. *RSA, Random Shameless Advertizing* Go read Pomplemouse. Even if you have no knowledge at all of G Gundam, you'll still like this. Onwards!  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- If I own Yu-Gi-Oh, then I am not a confusing, angst ridden, little girl. I am also completely sane. And no, I don't walk around on Halloween with my little brother, a guy whose hair has just recently been dyed blue, and a handmade pair of spray-painted silver, four foot long katanas. Really. *Nods somewhat convincingly.*  
  
  
  
Resisting the Call of Feeling  
  
  
  
When at last the rains did stop, Seto was loath to leave the cave. The world outside was different somehow, just as the tiger was. Just as he was.  
  
Silence laced with accusation and resentment had filled the cave after Seto's outburst and the tiger's soft words. Even now Seto could feel the weight of sorrow in the tiger's mind voice - as well as its regret.  
  
//The world outside is different because you are beginning to remember ever so slightly, Seto. As you regain more of your memories the Dreamscape will alter itself to suit your new perception of what it should be. And as that happens, you will begin to wake up.//  
  
Turning to look at the tiger, Seto was surprised that its mind voice should sound so tired. So drained and devoid of the fire he had come to associate with it. Looking into its eyes, he saw that they lacked their usual shine.  
  
//What's happening to you?//  
  
The tiger managed to dredge up a small smile in an attempt to set Seto's frayed nerves at ease. Somehow the fragile expression only served to frighten him even more. He could deal with the tiger turning on him and becoming someone he had to watch, but to lose it completely...  
  
//What's wrong? What's wrong with you?//  
  
Stepping past him, the tiger walked out of the cave and into the fading gloom beyond, ignoring the desperation and fear in Seto's mind voice. Giving itself a good shake, the tiger glanced back over its shoulder at Seto, something in its eyes luring him to it.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
Blinking, Seto took a step forward before he knew what he'd done. All he knew at that moment was the siren song of the tiger's words summoning him. Inviting him to shed his troubles and simply feel again.  
  
When he did realize what he was doing, Seto planted his feet and refused to budge. He would not fall prey to the sweet poison the tiger fed him with its words and pretty turn of phrase. Would not lose himself in sensation devoid of thought. Not until he understood the ways of the Dreamscape. Not until he understood what was expected of him so that he would not be sent back to the waking world where only pain and misery awaited him.  
  
//No. For once give me a straight answer. No more of your riddles. No more of your mysteries. Just answer me.//  
  
The tiger stared at him, tail twitching to some inner rhythm of heart and blood and life.  
  
//Run with me, Seto. Run with me.//  
  
Again he resisted the tiger's call. It cost him more than he knew, to force himself to remain grounded in lucid thought and the skewed reality of the Dreamscape. It cost him to fight the side of him that craved to be released. The side of him that begged to be let loose. The side of him that cried to be free.  
  
//You say that I am afraid of what I don't remember, and yet you fail to answer a simple question. Is it because you can't, or is it because you won't? Which is it?//  
  
To his surprise, the tiger laughed at him, warmth and affection slipping past his guard and into his mind with effortless ease. It frightened him at the same time it left him to wonder if what he felt was real. If the affection was genuine and not some dreamed up scrap of desperate hope and desire his mind had created.  
  
//Oh but it is real, Seto. As real as I am. // The tiger said as it walked towards him splashing through puddles left by the storm. //As to what's happening to me...I told you humans were not meant to live here forever. Bend time; even stop it completely - that they can do. But the one thing they cannot do is touch the waking world as they would here. The waking world lives on while time here flows in an endless loop controlled by the Dreamer. Controlled by _you_, Seto. I have already been here too long as it is. And so have you. No one can stay here forever, Seto. Not even me. //  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N- This is a BIG thank you to KaTyA! She taught me how to use Italics! Yay! *Hands KaTyA a cookie.* But someone said that the conversations here were easy to read as they are, so hence, thus they will remain. But I think that the rest of my stories will get the change. 


	10. Memories Come Flooding Back

A/N- Here we go, folks, this story is almost done. You should be able to guess who the tiger is now. All I have to say other than what wonderful reviewers/readers you all are is that you are one heck of a lot more perceptive than my friend is. He read my POV stuff and was totally in the dark about the identity of the characters. I applaud/thank you greatly for making it this far into the story and not just forgetting about it. Oh, and you know the warning I had for part 6? Well it applies to this chapter and the last one. Okay? Okay. Sorry about this, but if you really want to read this, you can. There's nothing remotely explicit, as the rating indicates. Not even hinting really...but still, the mild warning stands, so you can't accuse me of anything except keeping you all waiting for a long time.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer- If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, then this is what you would be seeing on your screen. Unfortunately, I don't think they allow anything remotely near this odd on, or even near, the television to be viewed by innocent (or not so innocent) viewers.  
  
  
  
  
  
Memories Come Flooding Back  
  
  
  
// No one can stay here forever, Seto. Not even me. //  
  
The tiger's earlier words lingered in Seto's mind. Humans were not meant to live here forever... did that mean the tiger was human? Or was it simply his mind playing tricks on him again, like it had so many times in the past. Seto glanced at the tiger and was astonished by how much it had changed.  
  
The tiger seemed to change beneath his very gaze, as though defying his wishes for it to remain as it had been, becoming even more tired looking than before. Its whiskers and tail drooped ever so slightly and its crimson eyes lacked the usual luster they had once been known for. Even the tiger's stripes were different. The elegant obsidian marks appeared to be changing, almost melting, blurring at the edges with the white fur to become gray. Only marginally different, but it was a change all the same.  
  
//I don't want to go back. There is nothing waiting for me in the real world except pain, anguish, suffering, regret, hatred, and more pain. They all hate me.//  
  
Once again, there was the quizzical look that very often graced the tiger's face.  
  
//Who is they?//  
  
Images flitted through Seto's mind. Faces and colors and shapes and noises all blurring together, dancing just out of his mental grasp.  
  
//...I don't know...//  
  
//That is the work of the Dreamscape. It's protecting you.//  
  
//But from what?//  
  
The tiger twisted to shift his unblinking gaze towards Seto. Seto paused. The change in the tiger was becoming more evident even as he thought about it. There was a distinct color variation present now. About half the whiskers surrounding the pink nose and mouth had altered, becoming a rich golden color, and the uppermost tips of the two peaked ears had been edged with scarlet as if the tiger had been painted at one time, but the red had worn away with age.  
  
The inky black stripes themselves seemed more melted looking than ever, becoming more concentrated and clustered around the throat and ankles. The annoying feeling he got when he knew he'd forgotten something was back again in full glory. And he desperately hated it. The tiger looked so different, yet so familiar...  
  
//Only you know the true answer to that question.//  
  
Seto glared at the tiger, who remained placid, ever tranquil and undisturbed. And yet, to Seto, the tiger was a symbol of power and wisdom here. The omnipotent, all-seeing ruler of the Dreamscape. But at the same time he knew it wasn't true. The tiger didn't belong here any more than he did. He could sense it the moment he began to remember.  
  
//Where are you from?//  
  
It was a question he should have asked long ago. It had never occurred to him before to ask for someone or something's background, but it made sense to now.  
  
//You keep insisting I called you to me. This may be true, but if it is, then where were you before?//  
  
There was a moment of silence. The tiger seemed to be contemplating an answer, attempting to word it in a way that would be acceptable to the waiting jackal in front of him. It had never done that before.  
  
//I was in a void. A vast expanse of nothingness and everything all at once. A place like here where time has no meaning and there are no others around you. A place that is the epitome of ancient evil and power and darkness, all rolled into one.//  
  
There was another moment of silence. Seto turned this new answer over in his mind. It sounded like something he had heard someone else say a while ago. Realization dawned on him like the sun rising over the mountains at dawn, shedding light on everything it touched. Only two pairs of people that he knew ever talked telepathically. He could see it more clearly now, the fog of denial seeming to lift from his clouded mind. He remembered were he had heard almost the exact same thing before. A pair of eyes completed the mental image that had eluded him for so long. The only eyes that had ever held any power over him were there.  
  
//I remember.//  
  
//Are you to go back now, Seto? Ready to go home?// A sad look graced the tiger's eyes. Eyes that Seto had finally realized could only belong to one person.  
  
There was one last pause. One last look around the land he had learned to love. The trees, the mountains, the deserts, the lakes and streams, and the rolling plains. The land he had learned so much in. It had taken a trip to the Dreamscape to teach him how to feel again, and a guide from another time and place to take him through it. His time was up. He was complete now. He was whole again. Seto looked onto the tiger's crimson eyes.  
  
//I'm ready now.//  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N- It's not quite over yet. The final part is still to come. Many of you were correct in guessing the tiger's identity, and I'm overjoyed that you liked this story. Review me, please? One last time before the end is here... 


	11. Run With Me

A/N- This is it. The final part you've all been waiting for. Thank you all for sticking to this story till the very end. This was my first chapter story to be completed and your positive reviews gave me the encouragement I needed to finish this and not send it to meet its fate in the recycling bin like so many others. I've been at this one for so long, I'm going to miss writing it... BTW, my part 6 warning still stands. This may be re-uploaded in the future with a major revision if I get around to making up a new ending... *Random Shameless Advertizing (RSA) for Master of Disaster* Go on, read it, you'll like it.  
  
Disclaimer- I didn't own Yu-Gi-Oh in the beginning of this story, so what makes you think anything has changed?  
  
  
  
  
  
Run With Me  
  
  
  
Seto sat up in the spotlessly white hospital room. Everyone was there, sprawled out sleeping in chairs and on the floor. Mokuba, Yugi, Yugi's friends, and of course, _him_. Apparently even the hospital security had failed to remove them. _He_ was the only one not sleeping.  
  
'Meet me at the park later.' He mouthed to Seto. And then in a flash of golden light, he disappeared.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It really had been him all along, there to guide him through the Dreamscape. There when he had needed someone, anyone. It was he that had been there. It was he that was here now. Long points of spiky tri-colored hair swayed gently in the afternoon wind as Yami stood waiting in front of the park gates.  
  
"Run with me, Seto. Run with me."  
  
Without a second thought, Seto gave chase, the steady rhythm of his feet pounding the earth matching that of the other. Once more, he reveled in the wind rushing through his hair and the scent of sun-baked earth that called to him.  
  
And Seto ran. He left his ever present brief case on a nearby bench. He tore off his trench coat, leaving it hanging over a nearby branch. And he ran and he ran.  
  
He lost himself again, giving over to that primal side of him as he ran, leaping over fallen logs and half-buried boulders as he raced onward through the park with Yami. He knew there would be trouble at the office later on, and people would ask questions. But that was later on. Right now there was only him, his once-teacher, and the untarnished world that lay beneath their feet.  
  
Running on, they left the park and ascended up a previously unused back road that arched high Domino. They paused for a moment to take in the sight, both of them standing on the lazily curving road, watching the spectacle of millions of seemingly tiny lights that flowed into the valley beneath them. This was the city after hours. Its incredible night life only a few were accustomed to.  
  
And when the night fell and the now solitary moon rose high into the sky, Seto laughed a single, soft laugh.  
  
In the still and peaceful night, his laughter broke the silence, and traveled away from him until he could no longer hear it. When all was once again quiet, the sounds of his laughter left the earth's atmosphere and headed toward deep space. Within minutes, it had passed the outer orbit of Pluto and continued on.  
  
The next day, it would still be heading away from that spot, now galaxies away. The next year, and ten years after that, the sound of Seto's soft laughter would still be traveling incredibly fast, leaping over planets and stars.  
  
A million years later, Seto's laughter would be able to be heard billions of light years away. And until the end of existence, Seto's laughter would continue to travel, forever with no end. And right behind it, would be Yami's deep voice saying one last line to Seto.  
  
"Run with me..."  
  
  
  
~Owari~  
  
  
  
A/N- Wow...it's finally over. I hoped you all liked it, even though I am still a novice compared to some people out there. Review me, please? One last time, for old time's sake... 


	12. End Notes

Darkside- Eh...this is all going to be one insanely long author's note. I'd like to thank all the people who reviewed me. You know who you all are. And if you don't, then you may need to go to either a therapist or a mind specialist, it's your call. If you choose therapist, by the way, I may see you there...  
  
Shiara- *Pokes Darkside* Hey, Back on track here...  
  
Darkside- Yeah, okay then. -NC- of Unholy Quintet, if you're reading this, be so kind as to send me an E-mail (Or review), won't you? I wanna figure out where you and Mieren went to. I got my brain eaten by Mieren...*Grins* And I miss "Ode to Pikachu"... I taped it up on my locker at school. Walked in there on Friday and there were people literally rolling around on the floor laughing. I think I made them late for class...  
  
Seto- Since this is over and you're _finally_ done confusing me and turning me into animals and torturing me, give them linkage, Darkside.  
  
Darkside- Me? Done torturing you? Never! I still have the Sorrow Trilogy to finish.  
  
Seto- *Grumbles* You sadistic little authoress, you...  
  
Darkside- Heh, sadistic, and you know it.*Nods* Oh, and I seem to remember that many of you wanted to know where I got the ideas for this story. I forgot, then I posted this thing called "By Myself". It was an English assignment that I turned in last year and the basis for "Run With Me".  
  
Shiara- Not really, though. You seemed to have riddled it with notes...  
  
Darkside- I-  
  
Ryou- Y.BK.!!! GET BACK HERE!!!  
  
Y.BK.- *Dashes past, obviously wired and hyper from the "Master of Disaster" set.* Run for your lives! The cheese logs are upon us!!!  
  
Silvara- Ah...shoot. He's found the Pixi Stix, hasn't he...  
  
Darkside- *Blinks* I thought I told Ryou to hide those REALLY well...  
  
Yami- At least he didn't take the duct tape and-  
  
Darkside- *Whacks Yami over the head with her Weird Hair Halo Thingie of DOOM* No! Absolutely no giving away my plots!!! *Massive, one-sided dust scuffle insues*  
  
Silvara- And here I thought that it was your job to get into trouble with Darkside over giving away plots, Seto...  
  
Seto- I learned my lesson, thank you very much. Our dear, but highly destructive, authoress has set that infernal penguin on me more times that I care to count...  
  
Yami- I believe we were supposed to remind her about something, though.  
  
Ryou- I think you're right. We're _always_ supposed to be reminding her of something...  
  
Silvara- *Pokes Ryou* Promote your darker half's insane rampage against him...*Points at Pharaoh*  
  
Yami- Why? So everyone can see me being...bounced-  
  
Darkside- What have I told you about plots?!?! * Yet another one-sided dust scuffle*  
  
Seto- You'd have thought that by now he'd have learned not to do that... *Sweatdrops*  
  
Ryou- And remember, the WHEIT Squad is still alive and well. Not large, maybe, but it's still here. Take a visit to Master of Disaster and see! Prank wars are always fun...  
  
Seto- And I still need to figure out where I'm supposed to get all the props Darkside told me to get for you and that insane Tomb Robber. *Shakes head* This is going to be costly...  
  
Darkside- That's what you get for wanting a part in something that didn't involve you shape-shifting or dying. And you better add about...nine dozen or so coffee pots to the list, Seto.  
  
Seto- ...I won't even ask...  
  
Darkside- Probably a good idea. So anyway, major thanks to all reviewers, including those from before I was deleted. If you are curious and have the chance, go check out "By Myself" and see where the ideas began. And -NC-, jabber at me or something, won't you? My muses and I hope you and the rest of Unholy Quintet didn't drop off the face of the planet.  
  
Silvara- We miss you!  
  
Shiara- Bye all!  
  
*Click* 


End file.
